1. I didn’t say Rooney never won the award mentioned above: I was responding because I thought you were implying that he’s the current holder.

Liar. You were trying to look clever.

2. Did Henry cost Arsenal the Champions League final? How? Pray tell. To all observers, he led the line admirably with ten men on the field. Lehmann’s red card cost us the match, not Henry. And Baggio was instrumental in helping Italy reach the final anyway, how you can single him out for Italy’s loss over a missed penalty (when penalties are Russian Roulette anyway) is beyond me.

Please Henry freaking missed three clear chances in the final that should have handed you the trophy. In addition it’s Lehmann’s penalty save that booked your final place not your precious Henry. Check your facts again. AS for Baggio, his missed cost Italy the world cup it’s that simple. What he did before the final was largely irrelevant in that case.

As for penalties they are a skill not guess work you dimw wit. That’s why Czech’s and Germans have never lost on penalties except to each other. While guessers who leave things to chance like the English and Dutch always lose on spot kicks.

3. Henry has consistently outscored and had more assists than Ronaldinho. Enough said.

Out score Ronaldinho? So what!! So has Raul. Raul has even outscored Henry to date yet they are of similar ages. So what?
Out assisted: Says who? Check out Laliga stats again. And while your at it check out who has won a world cup, champions league trophy and a couple of league titles and world player of the year titles plus a ballon d’onor since 2002. Nough said.

4. France didn’t have any strikers in ‘98? Stephane Guivarc’h, Youri Djorkaeff (played center forward) and one of the hottest strikers in Europe at the time: Christoph Dugarry. Again, thanks for showing your incredible understanding of the game by saying 4 goals from the win in as many matches on the biggest international stage at the age of 20 isn’t impressive at all.

You’re a moron. Dugarry played wide right, Guivach was untested and thus flopped in the world cup while Djorkaeef was an attacking midfielder of the Paul Scholes variety. Just because he could score some goals doesn’t negate the fact. France in 98 won the world cup without a single striker to boot. Even Henry who was tried upfront was a left winger out of postion upfront. However with Zidane, Viera,Deschamps and Bohogossian providing him with amo and Djorakaeff any player worth is salt would have scored at least 4 times. Wether at 20 or younger or older. The fact that Guivach was not a player worth anything proves my point further that France had no strikers. Didn’t the punk flop at Newcastle?

5. Zidane was instrumental in taking France to the final, just like Henry, Gallas, Vieira and Thuram were. As for France’s “collapseâ€? on penalties: see Roulette reference in point 2.

Confimring your moronic status. Well done….

6. mkl compared Toni, van Nistelrooy and Henry. Oh, and Mega-Heh at saying different players shouldn’t be compared when you compared an out-and-out striker like Ronaldo to a (then) left-winger like Thierry Henry.

Henry was playing upfornt so he can be classified as a stiker. Besides he and Ronaldo were both inexpereinced so you don’t escape the facts pal.

7. Again, thanks for noticing that Germany and France played different systems. Henry’s hold up play allowed the likes of Zidane, Malouda, Ribery and Vieira to get into goalscoring positions, whereas Klose was playing with Podolski just to score goals.

So according to your dim brain Klose never had any hold up play what so ever? On top of that you are under the illusion Podolski set up Kolse’s goals? How many assists for France did your precious Henry have anyway at the world cup 06? I’m sure theyr are less than 3. Yet France scored far more goals than that didn’t they?

Final word though, in my opinion, despite Henry’s consistent good performances for France, the league and Europe are much higher stages of football and we all know how good Henry is in those competitions. Your assertion that Heniry ISN’T worldclass is childish at best.

I never said he isnt world class. I said he is freaking overated and is clearly not the best around. He is just world class liek Ruud or Raul but is not a world beater like the Brazilian Ronaldo, Figo, Zidane or Ronaldinho.

1. I didn’t say Rooney never won the award mentioned above: I was responding because I thought you were implying that he’s the current holder.

2. Did Henry cost Arsenal the Champions League final? How? Pray tell. To all observers, he led the line admirably with ten men on the field. Lehmann’s red card cost us the match, not Henry. And Baggio was instrumental in helping Italy reach the final anyway, how you can single him out for Italy’s loss over a missed penalty (when penalties are Russian Roulette anyway) is beyond me.

3. Henry has consistently outscored and had more assists than Ronaldinho. Enough said.

4. France didn’t have any strikers in ’98? Stephane Guivarc’h, Youri Djorkaeff (played center forward) and one of the hottest strikers in Europe at the time: Christoph Dugarry. Again, thanks for showing your incredible understanding of the game by saying 4 goals from the win in as many matches on the biggest international stage at the age of 20 isn’t impressive at all.

5. Zidane was instrumental in taking France to the final, just like Henry, Gallas, Vieira and Thuram were. As for France’s “collapse” on penalties: see Roulette reference in point 2.

6. mkl compared Toni, van Nistelrooy and Henry. Oh, and Mega-Heh at saying different players shouldn’t be compared when you compared an out-and-out striker like Ronaldo to a (then) left-winger like Thierry Henry.

7. Again, thanks for noticing that Germany and France played different systems. Henry’s hold up play allowed the likes of Zidane, Malouda, Ribery and Vieira to get into goalscoring positions, whereas Klose was playing with Podolski just to score goals.

Final word though, in my opinion, despite Henry’s consistent good performances for France, the league and Europe are much higher stages of football and we all know how good Henry is in those competitions. Your assertion that Henry ISN’T worldclass is childish at best.

3.

1. Rooney has won the world young player of the world at list twice already. Go check on your facts. Pointing out Fabregas’s one win is laughable

2. Misses by individual players cost teams trophies you nonce. It’s Henry who cost Arsenal the Champions league final not the team. Just the same way BAGGIO Cost Italy the World Cup in 94 E.T.C

3. I don’t need to be bitter about Henry at all. He is just overated. Ronaldinho’s is better than and everyone else who matters thinks so that’s why Henry isn’t a world player of the year or Euopeean footballer of the year.

4. France had no strikers in 98. So their play was based on getting wingers to score goals and attaking midfielders. Henry scoring 4 goals wasn’t impressive in the least. How many did Ronaldo (Brazil) score eh?

5. You say no one can carry a team in a final? What was Zidane doing? He gets sent off in teh Wrold cup final and France freaking collapse in penalties.

6. Where do you get off comparing a half 9 like Henry to out and out center forwards like Toni or VanNistelooy? Why not compare him to players like Totti, Bergkamp, Baggio, Ronaldo (Brazil) who play like him? Rooney even who is way better than Henry was at his age

7. 4 Goals for whom the British press call “the best in the world” in a world cup is pathetic with Zizou and Ribery in your side. Especially when a lesser mortal like Klose could out score him!

So you agree that a 21 year old Henry, scoring three goals in the 4 matches that he played (not to mention, on left wing, not striker) was impressive. Excellent, moving on…

WC02: Agreed, he had a bad tournament, but so did the French, and any player would suffer if he had his most potent providers missing (Zidane, Pires).

WC06: Henry was played as a lone striker for most of the tournament, and it’s a well known fact that he doesn’t do too well in terms of scoring in that formation. Yet, he led the line admirably and returned four goals. He was “supposed” to carry France to the final? Again, refer to the concept of football as a team sport.

I would also urge you to look at Henry’s scoring statistics in the qualifying runs to the European and World Cups. I’m sure it takes a really mediocre player on the international stage to be nearing Platini’s all-time record.

You’re biased in your opinion but what really discredits your analysis is a blind eye to the overall performance of Henry for club and country. No player can “carry” a team to the final, not since Maradona anyway. And if you’re that keen to find a player who can, I suggest you dig your nose back into your Roy of the ROvers scrapbook.

You say yourself that; “if a player is consistently scoring a fuckload of goals every season, he IS worldclass.” So what does Toni and RVN do? Is it better when Henry scores because he has those young and inexperienced player around? And I just used Toni and RVN to point that scoring is not the same thing that being the best. And you seemed to agree with that.

And about your World Cup arguments:

WC98, Henry scored three goals and two of them against the mighty Saudi Arabia. He didn’t play a minute in final. He impressed then, that’s right, but only because he was only 21 and quite unknown.

WC02, France or Henry didn’t score a single goal in the tournament.

WC06, Henry scored three goals, but was overally a disappointment for many. He was supposed to carry France to final, but as he wasn’t able to do – France was lucky to still have Zidane. (Only in a game against Brazil I’d give him MOM award)

In sum, six goals in three tournaments = mediocre, and w/o Zidane, France would have not won anything in those tournaments.

Teams win trophies, individual players don’t. If Arsenal haven’t won the Champions League, then the team is lacking. But on the other hand, if a player is consistently scoring a fuckload of goals every season, he IS worldclass. Especially if the team is young and hasn’t yet hit its prime.

World Cup on a consistent basis? It happens every four years you idiot, and of the three world cups that he’s played in, he was extremely influential in France’s run to the final, won the bloody thing in 98 while being France’s top scorer. Excellent performances in two out of three is grounds for calling him overrated? He’s also the third highest scorer in the Champions League, that I’m sure in your books is grounds for saying he doesn’t perform in the Champions League either.

You just seem really bitter that he’s listed as one of, if not the best, in the world.

Oh, and Cesc Fabregas has won the World Young Player of the Year, not Rooney.

@mkl: Luca Toni and van Nistelrooy? They are players who specialize in one thing and don’t really come close to the kind of overall attributes Henry possesses.

Both of you should come up with better arguments and less bitterness when you comment on Henry next time.